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by Shimmering_Moonglow



Category: SCREW (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-13
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-01 22:40:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12714276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shimmering_Moonglow/pseuds/Shimmering_Moonglow
Summary: It's been a year since Screw disbanded and Manabu gets a message from an all too familiar face.





	1. Past and Present

**Author's Note:**

> So I recently realised that it's been a year since Screw disbanded and I've had this plot in my head for a while. Thought it'd work well with Kazuki/Manabu.

"We should meet up some time. It's a promise, 'kay?"

Those were the last (coherent) words he had heard from Kazuki. Every other word had been drunken babblings, completely incomprehensible to everyone but him. Manabu could still remember the night well. The pair, alone together, sitting in the back of a dimly lit taxi, the noise of the bar still ringing in his ears. The stench of cheap beer still burned his nose to think of it.

 

 

_It had been their last live together as Screw. The band had gone out for "just one drink, one last time". One drink turned to two and to five and to them going their separate ways in a very drunken manner._

_As their apartments happened to be in the same direction, and because Kazuki was the drunkest of the group and Manabu was the only one who was sober enough to chaperone him, Manabu ended up sitting in the back of a slightly dodgy taxi in an awkward proximity to his fellow guitarist. Upon attempting to move from Kazuki's terrifyingly tight embrace, he realised Byou had been right: he was starting to regret it._

_They were five minutes into the journey home when Kazuki's arms got noticeably tighter around Manabu, his face looking gloomy, downcast, despite the glowing red on his cheeks. His first instinct was to ask what was wrong, as per usual._

_"I'm in love" were the only words Manabu had been able to make out from his friend's loud ramblings._

_It was like Kazuki realised that Manabu hadn't heard him immediately. His face changed, becoming much sadder than before, going from clouds to pouring rain._

_"But that person... they'll never love me back!" He slurred, tears forming in his eyes._

_'But even still, his eyes are beautiful.'_

_If only Manabu had noticed the look on his face sooner._

 

 

'Maybe he wants to meet up like I do...' Manabu thought to himself, his thoughts returning to the vibrant cafe around him. 'It's been a whole year, and maybe he wants to meet up now. Kazuki was a bit of an ass when it came to remembering people anyway.' He scowled, earning a look from the barista standing bored behind the counter.

Despite how things had ended between the two of them last year, he still found himself curious. It had been a year after all, and a lot can change in a year. Manabu himself was a perfect example of this, though he hated to admit it. His once dark red hair was black and much shorter than before, and he'd not worn any of his (few) piercings for almost a year. He'd recently started wearing his glasses all the time, a look some of his friends said was cute. He didn't believe them.

He wasn't Screw's Manabu anymore. He was just Manabu.

He wondered how Kazuki had changed in that year as well.

 

 

_They were seven minutes into the journey home when Kazuki sniffled, leaning his head onto Manabu's shoulder. His light brown hair was all that was visible to Manabu, his face remaining hidden._

_"Are you crying?" Manabu asked awkwardly, patting him on the back._

_He didn't get an answer._

_"Kazuki...? Are you okay?" Manabu tried again, determined to get a response from the older man crying on his shoulder._

_The tears were seeping through his t-shirt._

_"I-I'm fine. It's just not fair."_

_Manabu found out exactly what wasn't fair. He found out too late._

 

 

His phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number.

**Hey, did I get your number right this time Bu-chan? Do you wanna go for a drink? We could catch up, it's been a whole year after all.**

Manabu's heart skipped a beat. Was it really him, or had an impossible coincidence happened? Only the Screw members (and a few of their old labelmates) called him Bu, and he had spoken to both Byou and Jin in the past year. It had to be. His phone buzzed again.

**I totally forgot! ^^' This is Kazuki**

There it was. The message he thought would never arrive, staring at him on his lock screen. A message from someone he thought he'd never hear from again.

Kazuki.

 

 

_They were 10 minutes into the journey home when Kazuki moved his head from Manabu's shoulder, his face visible again, eyes still puffy, and smiled at him._

_"Manabu-chan, I love you." He sang drunkenly, his tone lighthearted._

_Manabu had somehow forgotten just how fickle Kazuki's emotions were when he was drunk. That didn't stop him from nearly squealing with joy. One more drink and he would've. Oh, how he was thankful._

_"Okay Kazuki, we're nearly home. Please don't pass out, I'm not dragging you inside this time."_

_He was suddenly even more glad that he'd had fewer drinks than the rest of the band, he was a necessary voice of reason at this moment._

_No matter how mature Kazuki was, he was a child when he was drunk. Manabu noticed this quickly after joining the band. He'd experienced it countless time in the past years with him._

_"No Bu-chan. I really really love you. I super duper love you." He got louder with every word he spoke._

_Manabu couldn't believe his words. He was drunk, he didn't really know what was going on. He's also a bit of an idiot, though he'd never say it out loud. The reasons (excuses) for Kazuki's words pouring through his head like late night rain._

_"Okay Kazuki, I love you too. Can you be a bit quieter now? My head's starting to kill." His tone was much colder than he'd anticipated it to be. He felt bad._

_He looked down to Kazuki, who had leant back on his shoulder, his face becoming hidden once more._

_The cold on his shoulder began again._

 

 

Kazuki.

His mind began to race. It was actually Kazuki.

Wait, no. It's probably just Byou being an asshole, a terrible, terrible prank.

'Byou wouldn't... maybe he would do that. Or Jin. Maybe it was Takeru. Or anyone.'

All logic was slipping from his mind, he was beginning to panic.

Is this seriously you? I don't believe it. It can't be you.

He noticed the lack of a queue, taking the opportunity to order another drink, the barista eyeing him in an annoyed manner. He glanced up, contemplating a Christmas drink, something other than his usual.

"There's no point." He muttered to himself, sighing and ordering his usual, the same as every other time. A caffe mocha with almond milk (he'd recently become rather health conscious), hence the almond milk. His phone buzzed again. He ignored it.

Sitting back down, he looked at his laptop again, sighing miserably. He thought back to his old life, the life he truly loved. He'd give almost anything to return to the stage.

He truly missed it.

 

 

_They were at the end of the journey when Manabu had to leave Kazuki in the taxi. He knew he'd regret it immediately._

_"Kazuki, can you let go? I'm home now, I'll call you later. Kazuki, please."_

_Kazuki only tightened his grip, tears showing in his eyes._

_"Bu-chan, don't leave me! You can't leave me. No!" He was sniffling slightly, ever the weird drunk._

_And then he got out of the car._

_Manabu practically choked to death. What was he doing?_

_"I already said Bu-chan, you can't leave me! It's not fair. Please, Bu-chan!"_

_Manabu was even more surprised than he'd ever thought he'd be. Kazuki was weird, he was never this weird._

_"Ok, you can come inside then, but I'm not letting you stay, I hate having to deal with your hangovers."_

_Kazuki either didn't notice Manabu's cold tone or he didn't let it slip that he had, instead grinning and following him into his small apartment._

_"Yay! I love you Bu-chan!"_

 

 

His phone buzzed again. The same message as before.

**Yes, it's obviously me Bu-chan. You're worrying about me? Cute as ever Bu-chan**.

The tone was different from his previous messages. More serious, caring more. Yet it still held that same Kazuki feeling to it.

Manabu knew it wasn't a prank. It was him.

 

 

_They were inside when Kazuki grabbed Manabu's hand. A gasp escaped from the younger man's lips, surprising even himself.He may have been used to his behaviours, but they surprised him every time._

_His hand was gentle, different to his tight embraces during the ride home._

_He leant in closer to Manabu, his lips open as if he was about to say something. He hesitated for a second, before smiling and leaning into his ear._

_"I love you Bu-chan."_

_And then he kissed him._


	2. Messages

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh this took too long to write. Curse you writer's block.

Manabu glanced at his phone, his alarm blaring deafeningly in his ears. With a soft groan, he reached over, trying futilely to turn the obnoxiously loud beeping noise off.

It had been three weeks since the message from Kazuki. He'd refused to reply to it, going so far as to avoid using his phone just so he wouldn't be tempted to reply to the message. It wasn't working.

He didn't want to talk to Kazuki. He definitely didn't want to see Kazuki. And that included going for a drink with him. Nothing at all.

Unfortunately, it had been the only thing on his mind, taking over every other thought like a parasite, taking control of his every move, his every action. He dreaded the day he'd see him again, when his willpower collapsed like a building in an earthquake. He wasn't weak-willed, but when it came to some people, he couldn't help himself. Kazuki was one of those people, even if he was ashamed to admit it.

He had an unbearable amount of power over Manabu. Manabu hated it.

There was just something about him. His cheeky, mischevious smiles and shining eyes. His confidence, eternally gleaming.

But he was also serious, devoted and hard working. The most reliable band member Manabu had ever met. He was a talented guitarist who managed to be charming even whilst playing a particularly difficult solo. An eternally talented, wonderful person.

Manabu didn't just love Kazuki, he admired him too.

Maybe that was why he loved him so much.

Through drunken calls and backstage banter, he found himself falling more and more in love with his fellow guitarist.

Even when he was dating girl after girl and confessing to Manabu that he didn't love them, that he'd never loved them. Ever the charmer, he'd never had an issue with getting dates with girls (and the occasional boy). But it always seemed fake to Manabu, like he was just dating them to make them happy. He'd even told the shorter guitarist before that he liked someone else, but "dating cute girl after cute girl was an easier thing to do for him".

Maybe that should have been a red flag to him from the beginning. It wasn't, and he fell for him despite it.

After all, he'd always assumed Kazuki liked Aoi, their senpai from The Gazette. Aoi was everything Manabu wasn't: confident, chill and a strong, reliable senpai. Compared to Manabu, quiet, awkward Manabu, he was an amazing person. Kazuki very clearly had a great admiration for Aoi, and it was easy enough to assume it was more than just admiring one's senpai.

So of course Manabu had interpreted it was something more than that. It helped him deal with the pain of being unloved by the only one he wanted to love him. Even if only a little bit, it helped.

He dragged himself to the bathroom, deciding maybe a hot shower would help him wake up more. More than reminiscing about the love of his life would, at least.

Running his hand under the warm water, he leaned over, picking his phone up from on the bathroom counter. It was a cramped room, with barely enough room to wander around. White walls, a white floor and ceiling and white accessories made the room extremely monotonous. Boring.

'Perfect for deep philosophical shower thoughts at 7am' He thought to himself sarcastically.

His phone was littered with notifications, from friends and ex-labelmates, a special type of friend to him, and what felt like thousands of messages from the many apps he had forgotten to turn notifications off from. He made a mental note to turn them off later.

"Byou-kun messaged me. Between him and Kazuki yesterday, it feels like everyone has gotten back into regular contact again. That's good. It has been like 3 months since we last spoke, after all." He muttered to himself, smiling ever so softly.

Byou was a special person to Manabu. Even though the two were very different, they were surprisingly close. Byou was definitely the first person anyone went to for a party, back when "the whole gang" (as both Byou and Kazuki referred to it) had been under the same label. But he was also the first person in the band that Manabu went to when he needed a reasonable conversation. It was something Manabu truly valued. He knew if he couldn't talk to Jin, or to Kazuki (who happened to be the cause of a large number of his problems), he could always talk to Byou. He was the only one who knew literally everything about his feelings (for Kazuki only, the rest were still mostly a mystery).

Stepping into the shower, he mentally sighed as his phone beeped the exact second he pulled the shower curtain closed. He began to feel an unexplainable dread. Checking for the source of the text alert, he felt his heart skip an aggressive beat, the second this month.

Another message from Kazuki.

**Bu-chan? I got the number wrong didn't I? I knew I should've asked Byou for your number. At least respond and let me know if this is actually you or not. Please ^.^**

And another, for some ridiculous reason.

**This is still Kazuki btw**

"Oh no. Seriously?! Again?" His brain was still half asleep and mildly scrambled. Combining it with his extreme shock meant that he couldn't form a coherent sentence in response to his crushed emotions.

He felt like he had a schoolboy crush on Kazuki. A stupid, stupid schoolboy crush on him. He was an idiot.But this time, he was going to respond. Even if it was nearly impossible for him, no matter how much it hurt to think about him.

He wrapped a towel around his still mostly dry body and walked into the kitchen, putting on the electric kettle to make himself a coffee. He was going to need it. Black coffee was most definitely a coping mechanism.

Pouring the scalding water into a mug and making sure it was somewhat edible, he walked back into the bathroom to finish what he was supposed to have started: his shower.

Setting his coffee down, he slipped back into the shower. He was quick, much faster than usual, and was out of the shower in ten minutes.

"Impressive." He mumbled to himself as he checked the time again.During his too hot shower, he had considered the next part of his plan to actually talk to Kazuki again. In real life. And that involved a certain best friend of his. Byou.

**Hey Byou, are you busy today? How would you feel about meeting up for a coffee later?**

As opposed to talking to his stupid crush, it was almost laughably easy to talk to Byou. He was so glad about it.Wrapping the towel around himself again, he waited for a reply whilst getting himself ready for the day.

Manabu had to do it. It was now or never.

**Yes Kazuki, this is my number. How'd you get it anyway if you didn't ask Byou?**

He let out a breath, one he didn't realise he'd been holding.

Kazuki's response was fast, as per usual. He'd always been that way, and if it had been any different, Manabu would've been shocked.

**Bu-chan, hey!! I didn't know your number, so I just messaged the last number I texted you on and hoped for the best. Guess it worked then**

He chuckled to himself. Kazuki really hadn't changed after all. It made him happy.

**Anyway**

**Are you free tomorrow night? I wanna go for drinks with you and catch up!**

His phone pinged again, this time a message from someone else.

**Hey. Yeah, I'm free for like this whole afternoon. The little shop round the corner from your place?**

'Damn, I sure am popular this morning. I'm surprised Byou's even awake at this time. Unusual' He thought to himself.

He was glad he worked freelance nowadays. Between that and his part-time job in the conbini, he gained enough money to live and still have a lot of free time on his hands.

The pair arranged to meet, leaving Manabu with only one thing to worry about.

He knew Kazuki. He was so, so close to him. It's what almost 10 years in a band together does. Therefore, he was sure he knew how to handle it, it was easy.

What he didn't know was how to handle his feelings.

"Maybe I'll just message him later... He wouldn't mind."

Kazuki had never minded much, even when it took him days, weeks even to respond. He didn't really care too much, as long as he eventually got a response.

Manabu could remember one of those times. It was a vivid set of memories, a set of memories that he didn't think he would ever forget.

 

_It was nearly Christmas, 2013. Kazuki had insisted that "we're basically family, so we are going to spend it together like a family should", much to Manabu's annoyance. Christmas was one of two days per year when he'd go back to Osaka, back home, to see his family._

_But of course, Kazuki had other plans. Even when Manabu had tried to explain why, no matter what, he refused to stay in Tokyo for this, even if it meant rejecting the band for once, Kazuki refused to budge._

_On the night of December 1st, Kazuki messaged him, asking him to think about at least spending Christmas Eve with them. They didn't bring it up outside of that message, and it took until the 20th for him to finally write a response._

_It had mildly surprised Manabu that Kazuki was so upbeat about him finally agreeing to stay, despite how long it had taken for him to make that decision. It had lingered in his mind, a shadow questioning his loyalty; he knew he had to choose between families. So Kazuki was almost too positive about it._

_But, Manabu had to admit it. It was the best Christmas he'd had in years._

 

It was almost time for him to meet Byou. It had been several months since their last meeting, mostly as a result of their busy schedules, especially Byou. It meant that their texts, as common as they were, had remained the only form of contact they had. Manabu had always thought that it wasn't the same. Important conversations weren't to be conducted in that manner.

Taking a seat in the corner of the cafe, he gazed around, admiring the decor of the quaint place. It was infinitely beautiful, even though he seldom noticed it.

Fairy lights, dainty and sweet, hung from the ceilings on black bars. They shone like golden stars against the dark night of the bars, gymnasts wrapped around a beam, performing extravagant stunts. The bricks lined the walls, tough and strong, like martial artists, defending from potential attacks. Their grey colour added to the magical look of the cafe, a dull background for the other colours to shine onto. The stools of the bar, metallic and grey, were ballet dancers, stretching elegantly on pointed feet.

Black, grey, white: the cafe had a monochrome colour scheme. All except for one thing: the plants. All throughout the cafe, plants were tucked neatly into pastel coloured pots. Tall, short, wide, thin. Plants of all variety, a needed pop of colour in the otherwise dull location. The few people littered around were the only other source of colour. Fashionable and trendy, the regular costumers of the store were the epitome of Shibuya youth.

The bell on the door sounded, signalling the entrance of a new customer. Manabu turned his head, making eye contact with a familiar face. Byou.


End file.
